somewhere in the gray
by yaba
Summary: She knows exactly what this is and surprisingly, she doesn't care. Or what happens when Klaus returns to Mystic Falls for a brief interlude. Post 5.10. Caroline/Klaus.


**somewhere in the gray**

Disclaimer: own absolutely nothing.

Rating: M

Spoiler: 5.10.

Author's Note: This is inspired by rumors that a certain someone will be popping up in Mystic Falls before the end of the season. Conveniently, Ms. Forbes is currently unattached and thus my mind wanders. Hope you enjoy :)

xxx

She doesn't remember a winter in Mystic Falls ever being so gray. She looks out into the gloom, unable to tell where the snow ends and the fog begins; it's a chilling sight.

The forest bordering the mansion is fully submerged in a wintery blanket, only the green peaks of the trees are visible from where she stands leaning against the window. She's not supposed to feel cold, at least not in such subtleties, but her bare skin still prickles when she shifts, encountering the coolness of the glass as she turns her back to the depressing view outside.

The view inside brings with it a little warmth, but it's not enough to stave off the chill completely.

She knows exactly what this is. And strangely, she doesn't care.

There's something so comforting, so familiar about this, even the impending brevity of it all. She doesn't question it, doesn't want to, not with everything that's been going on.

He sits, leaning against the headboard. Completely at ease and completely in the nude, save for the pillow propped up on his lap, which she figures is more for convenience than modesty.

Heat starts to rise within her, and she tightens the comforter around her as if to shield him from her inappropriate thoughts.

He looks up from his sketchpad then, sinful eyes lazily raking over her body and chasing the chill away.

There's no chance now of her keeping her thoughts and the subsequent desire at bay, so Caroline gives in.

As she's been known to do when it comes to this particular man.

He holds her gaze even as he sets his sketchpad aside and in an instant is in front of her, engulfing her in his heat even though he's not touching her.

That quickly changes as he reaches out, skilled fingers slipping inside the tucked sheet, trailing along her naked hip so delicately, so incongruously. He watches her just for a second, head tilted in this curious way as if he's trying to parse out her thoughts, but gives up prematurely, facial expression dissolving into mischief.

"I thought we agreed there'd be no overthinking and overanalyzing tonight."

His hand travels up her back, tracing her spine in a distracting way that delays her normally snarky response.

She's been quiet today in general, mind not as alert and tongue not as sharp as usual, which was the purpose of this after all, and she wants to tell him as much.

Leaning into him, she runs a palm up his torso, brushing along the birds of prey tattoo wrapping around his left shoulder.

"I can barely think, let alone overanalyze anything at the moment." She admits almost shyly and fights the rush that carries through her as his muscles tighten beneath her touch.

Mischief gives way to quiet delight and Klaus brings them closer together, wrapping his arm around her waist and settling his lips at the base of her throat.

He kisses a column all the way to her ear, nuzzling the spot that leaves her feverish almost, embers of desire reigniting.

For a devilish second, she contemplates dropping to her knees and showing him exactly how blank and uninhibited her mind is, but his smooth voice derails her plan.

"I suppose in that case I have accomplished my goal."

And something tightens inside her unpleasantly, seizing her breath momentarily.

Because she isn't overthinking, but she's still _thinking _and as much as she hates herself for it, a seed of doubt is planted by his words, even if it's delusional of her to consider them anything other than a joke.

Because really, between the two of them, on the surface, this should mean more to him than it does to her…and yet…she wonders.

"Yes. You have." She confirms with some measure of finality and steps out of his embrace.

Ignoring his raised eyebrow and confused expression, Caroline turns back to the window, fighting the warmth that radiates from him.

A part of her has no desire to have any sort of confrontation, wanting to leave this be; words have only ever complicated personal matters. But he's an anomaly. Their relationship has never fit seamlessly into her life, always a jagged edge or two muddying the waters, confusing but exhilarating as hell.

In some ways, his leaving left her more bereft and troubled than her break up with Tyler. This grain of truth has been locked away for some time now, but his unexpected return has unearthed it, along with a whole slew of emotional baggage she has no desire to deal with.

And really, it's so ironic because the point of all this was a reprieve, a selfish wrinkle in time that would not amount to anything; couldn't, not yet anyway. Yet here she is, unable to fight her natural instinct to shield herself, build walls that have no place here.

Her only saving grace is the knowledge that if there is anyone who can get passed her defenses, it's him. It just depends on whether he wants to or not.

The unexpected touch on her neck - him brushing her curls to the side - is encouraging, and she bites the inside of her cheek uncertainly, before ultimately deciding to break the awkward silence.

"I thought about coming to New Orleans."

He immediately stiffens behind her, aware of the ramifications of an unexpected visit from her.

"Especially after Tyler left." She adds carefully, knowing the mutual animosity between the two most important men in her life, "I felt so alone."

She thought it would be more difficult to admit this, but it's not, especially with the gray in front of her stretching on for miles and miles. It's as if the view is a glimpse into some bleak future that awaits her if she doesn't pull herself together. A foreshadowing of the trying times ahead if she doesn't let her guard down, even if it's just in front of him and just this once.

He spins her around faster than she can blink and then she's confronted with him in all his glory. The blazing conviction in his eyes takes her breath away.

Hands protective on her hips as he holds her a hairsbreadth away.

"You are never alone, Caroline." He says sternly, fiercely, as if his life depends upon convincing her of this. "Do you understand that?"

She doesn't say anything, so he pushes more.

"And if you had come to New Orleans, I would have welcomed you, would never have turned you away."

At this, she smirks, shaking her head in disbelief, "Can you imagine how that would have gone?"

There's no real malice in her voice, mostly because she doesn't feel any…doesn't feel much of anything about his impending fatherhood. Perhaps she's still in shock over it, but the numbness is nice. Maybe after some time it will register, and maybe it'll make it a little easier to detach; maybe she'll even start to hate him a little.

Hate is motivating, it's fuel and maybe that's what she needs.

A little incentive to piece her heart back together, because after Tyler, Jesse, and…him, she's sure it's on the brink of completely shattering.

But right now, she doesn't hate him and he takes advantage of it, steering her back to the present.

"It would have been fine." Klaus assures confidently, but it's spoken through gritted teeth, almost as if it pains him to lie to her, because that's what it is, a lie.

Just like her foolish hope that they could actually escape the real world for once, without it bearing down on them once they'd had a moment to reflect and process. More accurately, once _she'd_ had the moment to reflect because even now, he looks like he's still holding onto the reprieve, trying to shield them from reality as much as possible.

This brings a smile to her face and a surge of affection to her core. The urge to touch him is too great and she reaches her palm out, dragging it across his jaw, tracing his day-old scruff and trying to subdue her arousal.

He leans into her touch, visibly relieved by the contact, and she notes with some amusement that Klaus is actually nervous. He rubs his cheek against her palm subtly and pulls her flush against him. When he slides his palms up underneath the comforter again, she doesn't protest.

He's about to kiss her, she's sure of it, but Klaus surprises her, stopping just short of her mouth.

"Does it really matter?" He questions and she knows his next action hinges on her answer.

And her response isn't driven by lust or by the desire to hold onto this for as long as possible.

Instead, it's driven by truth, by trust.

Because he's never let her down, and she's choosing to believe him when he says that it would have been fine for her to come, even with the extenuating circumstances.

"No." She shakes her head, curls tumbling everywhere, "it doesn't matter."

She's the one to kiss him before his smile becomes too insufferable.

xxx

A couple of hours later, it's still dark out but the sliver of light on the horizon indicates that dawn is not too far away.

They're sprawled across the bed together this time, comforter kicked halfway down as they lay intertwined but in silence.

She doesn't want to think about the time, or how eventually she'll have to get up, get dressed and drive back to her mother's before heading back to Whitmore. Doesn't want to think about how by then, Klaus and Elijah will likely be on their way back to New Orleans.

Thoughts of the eldest Mikaelson reignite her curiosity and she readjusts the pillow she's resting on before looking up at Klaus.

He lies on his back besides her, staring at the ceiling while running a soothing pattern up and down her arm. Sometimes he changes direction and twists a curl or two between his fingers but he never stops touching her, and Caroline wonders if that's why she's so relaxed.

The dull ache between her thighs and the slight soreness of her muscles may also have something to do with it, but all she can do is blush at that and redirect her thoughts.

"Do you think she deserves to die?"

Klaus shifts his head to her then, a contemplative expression on his face. He's positioned a bit higher than her on the bed and from this angle, it appears as though he's looking down at her and its a little disconcerting.

But she's been curious about his thoughts on this since he arrived into town, under the pretense of accompanying Elijah in saying good bye to his former lover.

"Katherine, I mean." She clarifies after a moment of him not saying anything, and his expression immediately softens as he trails a new path on her skin, this time along her jawline, stopping momentarily to tug at her earlobe.

This apparently causes her to make a face that makes him bellow out in laughter, mirth glittering in his eyes. Caroline can forgive him for teasing her if he keeps smiling just like that for the remainder of their time together.

"I knew who you meant, love. And I really can't say." He admits pensively, and Caroline accepts that answer for what it is.

She finds herself doing that a lot with him this time around, accepting circumstances for what they are. She might even go as far as to think that she's slowly starting to accept that this man, this dangerous creature, is good for her, body and soul.

That he might be worth keeping around.

The thought is still unnerving and it must register on her face, because before she knows it, Klaus has shifted to eye level with her and has drawn her in until there's not a semblance of space between them.

"Now that I've answered your question, sweetheart, don't you think there are better things we could be doing instead of discussing Katherine's impending demise?"

Her senses are immediately reawakened by the touch of his skin and she goes along with it, draping one leg over his hip and settling against him as he watches her with a dark glint in his eye.

It's not just lust, but it's not quite love yet either. It's somewhere in between and she's okay with it, because they have an eternity to figure it out. In the meantime, Klaus is right; there are definitely other, more interesting activities they can partake in.

Dawn finally breaks as he slides into her and Caroline has to shut her eyes to keep from being blinded. Without sight, all her senses are amplified that much more, and a sense of urgency takes over.

Everything, from his lips on her breast to the fingers moving lazily between her thighs, spurs her on until she's nearly shaking; the need for release trumping any desire to prolong their time together.

"Don't stop." She begs through gritted teeth, blunt incisors scraping the base of his collarbone as she digs her nails into his broad shoulders.

"Never," he murmurs into her hair, before capturing her lips.

He kisses her slowly, languidly, as if he has all the time in the world and Caroline is immediately envious of his ability to shut out all distraction and exist in the moment. Her will to do the same overtakes and she relaxes beneath him, even teases him a little, breaking the kiss and running her tongue along his bottom lip.

The separation is a mistake because it causes their eyes to meet and their movements naturally slow down. The sun is blinding now and Caroline ducks her head to keep the beams of light out. Noticing this, Klaus immediately shifts them further up the bed, and then all she can see is him.

Scruffed jaw, swollen lips, and arousal laden eyes. He's damn near breathtaking.

Muscles tense as he glides against her; hardness meeting softness and she thinks this is as close to perfection as she can get; thankful that he's right there with her, watching her, wanting her, admiring her…

It doesn't even occur to her until much later that what ultimately drives her over the edge isn't his talented fingers or skillful tongue, but rather his eyes; his brilliant blues that stay on her even as she writhes in her release, conveying more than any of his previous love declarations combined.

No, instead she watches as it becomes increasingly difficult for him to delay his own pleasure. Deciding to help him along, she arches her hips and scrapes her nails down his sides, rediscovering a particularly sensitive spot right above his left hip.

He growls in her ear, biting a little too hard on her neck and shifting his angle until she's the one struggling. In retaliation, she leaves a noticeable hickey on his neck, but his ensuing smirk leaves her completely defenseless and before long, she's tumbling again.

He comes with her this time, cradling her tightly as she kisses him, bodies now fused so close they're seemingly one entity.

The thudding of their hearts tempers her euphoria and Caroline watches as Klaus begrudgingly separates from her. The sun hits her squarely in the face and she drapes a tired arm over her eyes.

She feels boneless and a little frustrated all of the sudden, because now that the moment is gone, she has nothing to stop her from overthinking, overanalyzing.

Dawn brings with it the harsh reminder of reality looming somewhere beyond the doors of the mansion, somewhere in the gray.

"Stop that."

His voice cuts through her anxiety and she un-shields her eyes, tilting her head to see him sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her over his shoulder.

She can tell that he doesn't want to leave, but it doesn't make it any better.

When she doesn't say anything, he pivots half his body, leg bent to face her. The scene is so reminiscent of the first time they met on her ill-fated 18th birthday, her heart clenches in spite of herself.

"You are Caroline Forbes." He says resolutely, "the rest of the world should be afraid of you, not the other way around."

He then affectionately tugs at a curl before leaning forward and kissing her; there's a sense of finality in this and Caroline responds in earnest, knowing it will likely be their last…for now.

Predictably, as soon as they pull apart Klaus rises from the bed and picks up his discarded pants.

"I promised Elijah I would make arrangements for our trip back so I must go, but you are welcome to stay as long as you like. The realtor has no showings on the schedule today." He gives her a wide, playful grin as he retreats into the bathroom for a quick shower and change of clothes.

She lingers in the vacant mansion long after he's gone, thinking about nothing and everything.

At one point, she even falls asleep and only wakes to the sound of her phone buzzing from somewhere within the room.

She finally digs it out from under a pile of her clothes to see a text from Elena.

_It's over._

Then another one a moment later.

_Stefan needs you._

She gets out of bed without hesitation, collects her clothes and dresses quickly.

It's only when she surveys the room a final time to make sure there's no trace of them left that she spots a piece of paper folded on the nightstand, tucked under the table lamp.

She knows what it is even before opening it, but her heart warms at the sight anyway.

The charcoal image is of a young woman, nude save for the sheet cinched at her breasts, expression pensive as she gazes out the window into the wintery landscape.

_It's not quite as cold in Louisiana…_is scrawled underneath in familiar handwriting and she outright laughs.

It's as close to an invitation as she's ever going to get, and maybe eventually she'll use it.

But for now she'll remain here, because she's Caroline Forbes and she is needed.

Pocketing the drawing, she speeds away from the mansion with a lingering smile on her face.

She doesn't even notice that the snow has begun to melt.

xxx


End file.
